— Arthur Schopenhauer
After i saw Leo's blog post on "How Intelligent People Deal With Idiots", i saw this quote above on the video and i actually wrote something similar.
If we observe this from a meta level, from spiral dynamic's lens, we see that independent thinking is only seen on individuals at late green stage and yellow stage, and everyone bellow that use "authority" in more and more sophisticated ways the higher they are on the spiral, to a point where sometimes it can look like independent thinking, but it's actually just believing in authority.
It happens like this:
Lower blue stage:
Truth is received, not discovered.
Believes thinking isn't available to them, and that Knowledge is hierarchical, and they see themselves in the bottom, that's why they feel like imposters when trying to think about something independently.
Rely on authority, common and trendy social knowledge and behavior.
All intellectual activity comprise memorization of given knowledge within the major framework they've been indoctrinated with.
Higher stage blue:
The individual begins comparing authorities within the major authority framework, rather than blindly obeying one. (example: people here will never question religion for example, but only sub-frameworks or branches)
Thinking becomes a tool for selecting the “correct” framework, not transcending frameworks. (that's why it looks like independent thinking, but it's just "true authority vs false authority" type of thinking)
High degree of rationalizations, cognitive errors, biases, logical fallacies and self-deception. (result of trying to think for the first time)
Intellectual effort is spent defending and refining inherited and believed truths.
Independent thought is tolerated only if it leads back to the major established framework.
Lower Orange stage:
Authority shifts from religion/tradition/inherited truth to experts, science, and measurable success. Rational stuff, proven stuff, tangible stuff.
same "true authority vs false authority" type of thinking, but selection here relies on results, competence, virality, social proof.
very biased rationality that lack first principles thinking and epistemic investigation.
Selecting different authorities using biased rationality is what looks like independent thinking
Higher Orange Stage:
The individual starts comparing major competing frameworks. different scientists, different philosophies... (which looks like independent thinking, but that's still authority, just at a higher level)
originality exists here, but only as as recombination of external ideas.
High trust in external proven truths that "make sense" VS low trust in internal first person investigation.
Lower Green stage:
Trust in Turning inwards starts to increase, but only through belief (ironic ik), turning outwards is kinda integrated.
High trust in intuition, emotions, the immaterial, but only as a result of believing in that, belief here is mistaken for intuition.
High trust in social consensus, it becomes a major authority
High degree of abstraction, theorization, using esoteric language, believing in all sorts of crazy spiritual immaterial theories merely through belief that's mistaken for intuition.
Relying on emotional resonance, collective lived experience, questioning conventional truths and then replacing them with new chosen unconventional ones is what looks like independent thinking.
The individual is still inside a paradigm, but is unconscious of that fact
Higher Green stage:
The individual recognizes multiple truths and contextual perspectives.
Starts to step out of the paradigm of thinking that ruled their worldview and starts to become aware of existence of paradigms.
Thinking becomes more self-reflective and aware of bias.
Ambiguity tolerance increases significantly.
The start of independent, unbiased, detached thinking. driven merely by desire for understanding with nothing to gain, with no agenda or nothing to prove or defend, that is done with radical open-mindedness.
The person starts seeing all ideologies, including their own, as partial constructions.
Second tier thinking - yellow stage:
Thinking becomes systemic rather than ideological.
The individual sees every framework as a tool rather than absolute truth.
Authority and belief are used as tools while being conscious of the risk that comes with that. they're used strategically and consciously.
Epistemology and first principles thinking become non negotiable.
Holistic thinking emerges.
Tolerance for contradictions and paradoxes.
Epistemic humility is high.
Original thought emerges through deep synthesis and first-principles observation.
High trust in direct observation.
constant study of self-deception
High reliance on direct experience and trail and error
(there is probably more to say about this stage but that's all i got, for now)
Stage Turquoise:
wait, you expect me to simply break down this stage? who the fuck do you think i am? (just kidding)
anyway, this post took almost 2 hours to put together, so you better engage with it or i will come for you.
also feel free to point out the gaps and things you think are wrong.
